MUSD to provide free breakfast, lunch to kids in June

The upcoming summer break brings a welcome respite from school for the 7,500-or-so students in the Maricopa Unified School District.

But it also creates a void in terms of meals for many of the district’s students who get weekday meals at their school.

The MUSD Summer Food Service Program addresses that issue by providing free, healthy breakfasts and lunches for the city’s youth through June. The program, which is available Monday-Thursday, provides meals to children under 18 regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. There is no requirement to be an MUSD student to take advantage of the program.

In a news release, MUSD said, “Anyone 18 years of age and younger is welcome to eat a meal with their friends at participating sites throughout the summer. There are no income requirements or registration.”

According to Suzette Moe, director of Child Food & Nutrition Programs for MUSD, there is a strong demand for the 10-year-old program which coincides with the district’s summer school schedule.

“Last year demand was really high because of COVID,” she said. “In the years before that it was a bit slower. I’m expecting us to feed about 800-1,000 kids a day. Because of COVID we are really trying to push it and expand it a bit this year, and we’ll be serving at five sites.”

The program will run from June 1-30 and serve in-person breakfast from 7-8 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m.-noon Mondays-Thursdays at the following locations:

• Butterfield Elementary School – 43800 Honeycutt Road
• Santa Rosa Elementary School – 21400 N. Santa Rosa Drive
• Maricopa Elementary School – 18150 N. Alterra Parkway
• Maricopa High School – 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave.
• Maricopa Wells Middle School – 45725 W. Honeycutt Ave.

Curbside and parent pickup services also is available from at 10-11 a.m. at Butterfield Elementary and Maricopa High School. Three people will work at MHS and two at each of the other schools to provide the program. Moe praised the staff working during the summer to make the meals available.

“It was hard to get staff this year because they’re all really ready for a break,” Moe said. “I tell them all the time how much I appreciate what they do. Everybody is pretty tired because it’s been a pretty crazy year. I definitely appreciate them for going above and beyond to make this happen. It’s been a difficult year for everyone in the district and we appreciate everyone who stepped up to do this very, very much.”

The program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, does not run in July as there is no summer school in session. According to Moe, with the new school year starting July 22, “we just have a very short break before the year starts again and these folks really need some time off.”